MP Nambooze released from police detention

Mukono Municipality Member of Parliament, Ms Betty Nambooze has been released on bond from Nagalama police station where she had been detained after her arrest on Wednesday morning.Ms Nambooze was picked from her home in Mukono and taken to Jinja Road Police in Kampala where she was briefly held before being transferred to Nagalama Police Station.

Her release comes after Opposition leaders stormed Naggalama police station protesting her arrest.The leaders led by Ms Winnie Kiiza stormed police in the afternoon demanding for an explanation as to why Nambooze was picked from her home.

Kampala lord mayor, Mr Erias Lukwago said police have failed to reveal the charges they preferred against the MP before transferring her from Jinja Road Police Station in Kampala to Nagalama Police Station in Mukono District.

“It is unfortunate to arrest one without telling her the offence,” Mr Lwakwago said.

Mr Lwakwago had also asked police to release Nambooze because she is sick and supposed to travel for treatment abroad.Earlier Ms Kiiza condemned the arrest saying it was a plan to divert investigations in the murder of Arua Municipality MP Ibrahim Abiriga and his brother Saidi Buga Kongo.

There was a scuffle at Nagalama Police Station between police and opposition members who were protesting MP Nambooze’s arrest

“Now every investigation will work towards making what Museveni said is real. Of all people, it wouldn’t have been Nambooze to be arrested for the killing of Abiriga. I’m yet to find out why they want to connect Nambooze to the matter but it’s unfortunate that they’re connecting people who don’t have even a single training in the military and who may not even have the capacity of arranging killers,” Ms Kiiza said on Wednesday at Jinja Road Police Station where Ms Nambooze is being held.She said: “This matter should even be internal. Those with power and guns must be knowing how Abiriga died. They just want to divert investigators.”

Ms Nambooze was picked on Wednesday from her home in Mukono.Police on Tuesday said that before Abiriga’s murder last week, Ms Nambooze and three other people posted messages on various social media platforms supporting the attack on Abiriga.A detective had said Ms Nambooze, Raymond Soulfa, alias Peng Peng, Nasser Mugerwa and Jane Kuli would be arrested for alleged offensive communication.

Mr Vincent Ssekate, the spokesperson of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, confirmed the plan to arrest the MP and her co-accused.Mr Ssekate said a general enquiry file had been opened at the Criminal Investigations Department headquarters against them.